Spring
Springing to Life
Rising from the dead leaves remaining from autumn, we find the crocus. This is one of the very first signs of spring. I photographed these welcome beauties sprouting in northwest Missouri at the beginning of March 2024.
According to Wikipedia… “Crocuses are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain underground, that bear relatively large white, yellow, orange or purple flowers and then become dormant after flowering. Many are cultivated for their flowers, appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The flowers close at night and in overcast weather conditions. The crocus has been known throughout recorded history, mainly as the source of saffron. Saffron is obtained from the dried stigma of Crocus sativus, an autumn-blooming species. It is valued as a spice and dyestuff, and is one of the most expensive spices in the world.”
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Baby Bandit Alert
The epitome of “bright eyed and bushy tailed,” this very young raccoon was discovering a new world. I found this one – with three other siblings – exploring our yard this spring. We never saw any sign of their mama.
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Orange Poppy Down
One of the aspects I enjoy with photography is capturing different perspectives. This is an orange poppy that was drenched by an early morning rain. The rain pushed the bloom downward, leaving some moisture on the delicate, paper-like petals.
We have a few poppy plants in a flower bed next to our house that bloom every spring. The bloom doesn’t last nearly enough but they are quite lovely while they are showing. I’ve taken a lot of poppy picture over the years, but none quite like this. I particularly like the contrasting colors of vivid orange and green and the different perspective of this photo.
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Over Purple Clover
Even the very simple and common can be a work of beauty. While walking through the woods in NW Missouri I came upon this solitary stalk of purple clover blooming. It was early spring and about the only thing blooming in the woods.
Purple Clover is also commonly called Red Clover. According to North Carolina State Extension…
The common name for Trifolium pratense, Red Clover, can be confusing as the flowers are more a pink to pink/purplish, not a true red. It is grown as a forage crop for pasturage and hay for livestock. It is a nitrogen-fixing plant and is often grown as a cover crop to improve soil fertility. Its native habitat includes fields, pastures, meadows, waste areas, and along roadsides. It can be found in grassy locations that are not regularly mowed.
It can be easily distinguished from other varieties of clover by the large pink flower heads as well as the chevrons that appear on the leaflets.
Its flowers have a honey-like fragrance. The foliage can produce a pleasant clover-like scent. The flowering heads and foliage are both edible, both raw or cooked. Its young leaves should be harvested before the plant flowers. They can be used in salads or soups or cooked similar to spinach. The flowering heads as well as the seed pods can be dried and used as a flour substitute. The young flower are also eaten raw in salads.
It has also been widely used for athlete’s foot, constipation, ulcers, corms, and menopause. Red clover contains isoflavones. The edible flowers taste sweet or like hay but they are not easily digestible. Do not eat the flowers if pregnant or nursing.
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The Wild Bunch
An abundance of these daisies spring up in our back yard every year. They are a welcome, cheery sight; at least for the short season they bloom.
One of the aspects of this photo that I love are all the perfect imperfections of these wildflowers.
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The Color Poppy
The poppy is one of the most vibrant, delicate and interesting blossoms of spring. Sadly, it is a short lived beauty. Our small supply of poppies have been brutalized by the strong winds we’ve had lately. This photo was taken a week ago.
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Flowing Focus
After a light spring rain, I photographed the back side of a freshly bloomed poppy. The water droplets were the point of interest to me.
When I opened the image up on my computer for processing, I thought a monochrome version held more promise. The full-color version was nice, but this one seemed to draw me in more.
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Turtle Happy
This big fella seemed content to be lounging in a ravine, caked in mud, balanced on a log, basking in the sunshine of an early spring morning. This photo was taken in the woods of northeast Wisconsin.
As we began a hike along the Ahnapee State Trail another couple ending their hike told us to watch for a large turtle in the ditch. We walked quite a while and didn’t see anything. We thought we’d missed it or it had moved on. Well, as you can see, we eventually spotted it.
To get up-close and personal, I had to tromp through some muck. It didn’t seem to mind my presence and sat for quite a few shots. Eventually it slid off the log and moved to the shade and mud under the log.
I don’t know what kind of turtle (or tortoise) this is but I can tell you he was large and looked ancient. Judging by the slight smile on his face, I think he was happy to see me.
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Yellow Flag Iris
I found this healthy collection of Yellow Flag Irises while strolling through the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. They lined the edge of a large pond.
In the “wild” these plants can be very prolific; to the point where they are considered an “invasive aquatic plant.”
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Wondersome One
This darling seemed to have a look of serious thought the moment this image was snapped.
This is an image from a child portrait photo shoot. This is not the photo I would expect the parents to choose as a favorite, but it is one of my favorites from the session because of the child’s expression. To me, it conveys innocence and wonderment with a twinge of uncertainty. I also enjoy the vivid colors, the wispy curls of hair above this cutie’s ears and her holding the blade of grass.
This was a quick, portrait session. We had a baby. We had a rural setting on a spring day. We simply added a colorful blanket and found a spot in the grass with an open field and distant tree line for a background.
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All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me for digital purchase and licensing options.